CHICAGO—In his monumental book, “Message to the Blackman in America,” the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad writes, “The most important question of all questions that one could ask is ‘Who Is God?’” That profound question was dissected and explored during the workshop titled, “The Reality of God” during Saviours’ Day 2021.
The virtual session brought together a scholarly and spiritual panel of experts including Student Minister Ishmael Muhammad, National Assistant to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan; Sultan Rahman Muhammad, student imam of the Nation of Islam; and Student Minister Dr. Wesley Muhammad, author, scholar, and member of the Nation of Islam Research Team. The panel was moderated by Brother Abdul Qiyam Muhammad, social media director for Min. Farrakhan.
“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad answered a question, not for just this generation, and people of the time of His presence in the world. But he answers a question that the human being has been longing for an answer to not just for 1,000 years, 10,000 years, 50,000 years, 100,000 years. But the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that the reality of God has been hidden from the human being for 66 trillion years since the deportation of the moon from our planet,” said Student Min. Ishmael Muhammad, son of Elijah Muhammad.
“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad, was given the knowledge of the reality of God to answer what man has been asking for trillions of years: Who is God? Where is God? And in the absence of the knowledge and the reality of God, man has come up with his own ideas of who God is and taking from God’s creation, to worship but it has never satisfied the longing in the human being to know the reality of God and that God has produced everything that we see,” he added. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s teachings dispelled the “mystery God,” Student Min. Ishmael Muhammad explained. The idea of God being a mystery was established by Satan, panelists pointed out.
The most controversial aspect of what Elijah Muhammad taught concerning The Supreme Being is that Allah (God) is a man and that He appeared in the person of Master W. Fard Muhammad July 4, 1930, the one prophesied of in scripture who Elijah Muhammad met and was taught by face-to-face. It is the birth of this Self-Guided One from the East that the Nation of Islam commemorates during its annual Saviours’ Day gathering. Master Fard Muhammad was born February 26, 1877 in the Holy City of Mecca. The Muslim Program under “What the Muslims Believe,” printed on the inside back page of The Final Call newspaper and prior to that, in Muhammad Speaks, is the foundation of the Nation of Islam. It is also the point of attack that the enemies of the Nation will use and have used to shake the faith and fortitude of the Believers, presenters warned. However, Elijah Muhammad and Min. Farrakhan have never wavered from this point in the 91-year existence of the Nation of Islam and so it is critical that those in the ranks of the NOI become firmly rooted and entrenched in this truth and can defend it, panelists continued. The fall of the Nation of Islam after the departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad in 1975 was the result of the Muslims falling away from the reality of God and Point No. 12, said Student Min. Ishmael Muhammad.
“If our faith in Allah in the Person of Master Fard Muhammad is shaky, we can’t defend Master Fard Muhammad,” said Student Min. Dr. Wesley Muhammad who holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies. It was Min. Farrakhan’s 1991 Saviours’ Day message, “Who Is God?” that was the catalyst in attracting him to the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. The world has taken a two-pronged approach of assault in trying to dismantle this foundational tenet of belief in the NOI, he explained. A counter-intelligence assault and a theological assault was instituted, said Student Min. Wesley Muhammad. Criticism from the broader Muslim community that has accused the NOI of “shirk” for teaching that God is a man and that He came to the Black man and woman of America.
The panelists shared personal accounts of their observations of Min. Farrakhan in his travels to Iran and other Middle East countries, dispelling the myths, misconceptions and lies that the Minister and Nation are not accepted or viewed as “real” or “true” Muslims. The Minister also stood and stands firm on the foundation of Master Fard Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad and has wrangled with Islamic scholars, never back tracking or wavering on Point. No. 12.
“We have to have faith in order to defend it,” said Student Min. Wesley Muhammad. Just two hours after the conclusion of the workshop, it had already garnered 3,200 views on YouTube and those that viewed the presentation were impressed with the enthusiasm, conviction of the presenters and the irrefutable information they presented that could help them defend Point No. 12 and Master Fard Muhammad. Many in the virtual audience were impressed by the information presented and thanked the presenters for providing additional ammunition for their spiritual audience.
“I have learned about standing strong on the foundation of Master Fard Muhammad. How the enemy can take us away from the reality of God if our foundation is not strong. When the Nation fell many were got by the enemy, which took them away from The Reality of God. This is something to really study the enemy inside and outside of self,” Latasha Muhammad of Indianapolis, told The Final Call via email.
“What resonated with me was when Minister Ishmael, Imam Sultan, and Bro. Wesley spoke about Master Fard Muhammad giving us the secrets of the Universe that were kept from us,” she added.
Joan Muhammad, viewed the presentation via Zoom and commented in the chat, “The passion, love & knowledge that you Beautiful Brothers have for and of the NOI is resonating through this Webinar. I am so grateful, thank you. …” Another observer commented, “Thank you for sharing these BEAUTIFUL Moments of Love from others for Our Teachings and OUR Beloved Minister and The Messenger!” To view this panel discussion in its entirety, visit noi.org/sd2021 or on YouTube page for Abdul Qiyam Muhammad under “Saviours’ Day 2021: The Reality of God Plenary Session.
